Apparatus for supersaturating air



Sept. 15, 1925 7 1,554,185

- J. .J. PREBLE APPARATUS FOR SUPERSATURATING AIR Filed June 28, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A lhvenior James Prairie.

. 31% M M f o m J. J. PREBLE APPARATUS FOR SUPERSATURATING AIR Sept. 1 5, 1925 Filed June 28, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I raven/7oz" James Jarvis PWeZrZe.

v Sept. 15, 1925, 1,554,185

J. J, PREBLE APPARATUS FOR SUPERS ATURATING AIR Filed June 28-, 1920 ssheets-sheet 5' I Invenior:

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Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES JARVIS PREIBLE, OF WALTHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNO'B TO SPRAY EN- GINEERING COMPANY, OF BQSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR sUrnRsAr nArme AIR.

- Application filed June 28,1920. Serial No. 392,382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES JARVIS PREBLE, a citizen of the United States, and a" resident of Waltham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Supersaturating Air, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a'method of and to an apparatus for supersaturating air, and particularly to a method involving the wash ing and humidifying of air and the subsequent supersaturation of the washed, humidified air.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood, I shall proceed to describe one type of apparatus whereby my invention may be practiced and the best mode known to me for carrying out the method.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevationof one type of apparatus embodying my invention and by means of which my method may be prac ticed;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, a part of the casing being broken away to show the interior structure;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation representing a detail of the structure including the supersaturating nozzles; and a Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken through one of the supersaturating nozzles.

I-Ieretofore air has been Washed and hu midified, but in certain. industrial and ma'nufacturing processes I have achieved improved results by supersaturating washed and humidified air, so that the air contains free moisture in a very finely divided state and is in a condition resembling a mist or The creation of a supersaturated condition of air has been a. diflicult problem to solve, but, after a great deal of experimentation, I have succeeded in supersaturating air by discharging into thewashed, humidified air further supplies of water under air pressure. I have ascertained that byemploy'ing air under pressure to discharge water, I may so thoroughly comminute or finely divide the water that the air is placed in a fog-like condition, containing free moisture in a finely divided state, that will be readily carried along with the air.

I will set forth one embodiment of apparatus by which my invention may be practiced.

In the drawings, a casing of any approved'form is indicated at 1, the air being introduced from any suitable source at 2 at the front of the apparatus and discharged at 3 at the rear of the a paratus. The first step in the process pre erably involves the washing of the air. For that purpose I have represented a pump at 4 driven by any suitable type of motor 5. Leading from the pump 4 is an upright pipe 6 in communication with a horizontal pipe 7 shown most clearly in Fig. 1 and. itself in communication with downwardly extending pipes 8, 9,

that communicate with pipes 10, 11 positioned in and extending across the casing 1 near the air inlet 2. Extending from the transverse pipe 10 is a series of nozzles 12 preferably-having screens 13 mounted over the same, and between the nozzles 12 are other nozzles 14:. Preferably, but not necessarily, the said nozzles are of the. general type disclosed in the patent to Eneas No. 1,101,264, dated June 23, 1914. The water issuing from the nozzles 12, 14 acts as a driving spray and to wash the air.

Mounted upon and communicating with i the transverse pipe 11, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3, are nozzles 15, 16, preferably arranged as shown and acting as scrubbing nozzles. I

If desired, and preferably, I provide in communication with the pipe 6 a strainer 17 and steam heating means indicated at 18.

The return pipe to the pump is indicated at 19 in Fig. 1, whereby a c1rculat1on 1s established through the pump, the excess water being carried back to the pump by a suction actionvthrough the said pipe 19.

After the scrubbing nozzles 15, 16 in the direction of air flow, '1 preferably provide means for periodically flushing and cleaning the eliminator plates hereinafter referred to, and for that and other purposes I desirably provide a fresh water inlet pipe, as indicated at 20 in Fig. 1. In communication with the said pipe 20 is a pipe 21, preferably of smaller diameter leading downwardly as indicated to a pipe 22 arranged transversely within the casing 1, as indicated in Fig. 2, where it is connected with a float valve for replenishing the water lost by evaporation.

I provide in communication with the pipe 20 a branch 24 which is in communication with a pipe 25 which itself communicates with a transverse pipe 26, shown most clearly in Fig. 4 and having therein flushing nozzles 23 for flushing and cleaning the said eliminator plates.

Any suitable type' of eliminator plates may be provided. Herein for the purpose I have indicated at 28 in Fig. 2 eliminator plates which are arranged in a generally parallel but zigzag relation, giving a tortuous passage to the air flow. The said eliminator plates serve to eliminate from the washed and humidified air the free moisture (not in an evenly divided state).

That is to say, the purpose of the so-called eliminator plates is to remove from the air such water as isin the condition of free moisture, but in such large particles as not to be carried by the air, and which therefore is in a condition for immediate precipi tation.

Desirably I provide nozzles or like means beyond the eliminator plates 28 in the direction of air flow-to cooperate with the flushing nozzles 23 for completing the flushing and cleaning of the eliminator plates. For

this purpose, the pipe 25 is in the direction of air flow and communicates with the transversely extending pipe 29 having nozzles 30 which desirably are of the said Eneas type. The nozzles 23, 30 together serve to flush and clean the eliminator plates, removing from them foreign matter which may be carried by the air that is being treated.

The water with foreign matter discharged from the eliminator plates 28, together with such other water as is not retained by the air, collects in the bottom of the casing which is here shown as having sloping bottom plates 31",the water being discharged through a suitable outlet 31".

By the use of the nozzles 12, 14, 15, 16, the

air is washed and humidified. I desire it to be understood, however, that within the broad scope and purpose of my invention, the air may be washed and humidified in any suitable manner.

The air as thus far treated is in a washed, humidified condition and is desirable for many purposes. Itis practically saturated, that is, the relative humidity thereof is between 90 and 100 under average conditions, but the water contains no free moisture, the latter having been removed by the eliminator plates 28.' The air in this humidifiedcondition, however, does not fulfill I requirements involving theme of supersaturated air. Therefore, the problem before me has been so to discharge an excess of tive agent is compressed air and desirablyalso, but not necessarily, the water, when it is subjected to the action of compressed air,, is in the form or character of a film, which is constantly disrupted, but constantly restored and maintained through the action of capillarity. If desired, however, the water may be supplied under pressure.

The water supply to these nozzles may be through the agency of a small water tank and float valve positioned at any suitable point and automatically supplying water at a level a few inches below the orifices of the supersaturating nozzles and so arranged that the said nozzles will be automatically shut off if and when the air supply ceases from any cause. In such an arrangement, the air inlet pipes would be arranged above the supersaturating nozzles, this being the reverse of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Under such condition of operation, the water need not be under'pressure but if lifted by the action of the air or other capillary action between the surfaces 48, 50 of Fig. 5.

In the construction shown, I have represented as leading from the pipe 20 a pipe 31 of smaller diameter in itself communlcating with a downwardly extending pipe 32 that is in communication with a transversely extending pipe 33, shown most clearly in Fig. 4 and positioned across the casing 1 near the discharge or rear end 3.

In order to discharge the water for effecting the supersaturation, I c'lesiralfly provide a receptacle 34 wherein air is stored or placed under pressure by the action of any suitable air compressor 35. From the receptacle 34 extends a pipe 36 in communication with an upwardly extending pipe 37 that is itself in communication with a pipe 38 extending transversely of the casing 1 preferably in parallelism with the pipe 33 and a short distance therebelow as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4.

, Extending at suitable intervals from the pipes 33 and 38 are short pipes 39, 40, shown in section in Fig. 5 as suitably connected to the nipples 41, 42 of a nozzle body 43. The body 43 has a partition or member 44, thus providinga substantially axial passage 45 for the air, the entering air and water thus being separated by the said partition 44. Within the passage 45 is a suitable needle or other valve 46 having suitable adjusting means 47. At the forward or outer end of the air passage 45 is a caplike member 48 herein represented as integral with the partition 44. Surrounding the partition 44 entirely or in suitable-part is a water passage 49 in communication with the water supply pipe 39 and upon the outer end of the body 43 is adjustably secured by screw threads or otherwise a cap 50 having a central discharge opening 51 in axial alignment with the opening 52 in the cap-like member48. The construction is such that the air under pressure, entering through the pipe and passage 45, causes water to be drawn into the passage 49. The water constantly forms a film between the inner surface of the cap and the outer surface of the cap-like member 48 and the thickness of such film may readily be varied by adjustment of the said cap 50. Such film is constantly formed and maintained by capillary action between the two cap-like members 48, 50, which "are brought close enough together to insure such action.

The air entering through the passage 45 breaks through the film at the central portion of the cap and discharges the same in extremely fine globules into the humidified air and imposes a supersaturated condition thereon. Such film is constantly broken by the air, but is constantly restored through the action of capillarity and hence the water may ifdes'ired be merely under suction due to capillary action. The water from which the film is formed is supplied at a eomparatively low velocity and the stream, of air under pressure acts at high velocity to tear apart the water film and discharge the same through the opening 5 1. I desire it clearly to be understood that any suitable type of nozzle may be employed for this purpose, providing for adischarge of water and a motive agent under pressure, and that my invention is not limited in.this respect to the type of nozzle shown.

I regard it as of extreme importance in obtaining thesupersaturated condition of the air that the water be discharged by a motive agent such as air under pressure. In this 7 manner, the extremely comniinuted condition of the water is obtained, and the film-like formation of the water is of importance since it is in this condition that it can be best minutely subdivided and so discharged into the air that the air retains-the moisture as free moisture, but in a supersaturated condition.

The air in such supersaturated condition contains, as stated, free moisture in a finely divided state, that is, in a fog-like or mistlike state, and the moisture 1n such condi- ,tion is carried along by the air. It will be understood that in the practice of my invention other types of apparatus may be used so long as the steps are carried out which result in the supersaturation of the air. Within the scope and purpose of my invention, the supersaturating nozzles may be placed at any suitable point to efi'ect the proper supersaturation of the air. I have represented them as located across the easing 1 near the discharge or rear end 3, but

the same-to a point of use, comprising in' combination an elongated casing having at one end an inlet for the untreated air, a transversely extending series of nozzles within said casing near the air inlet and comprising means for driving, washing and humidifying the air, a second Q transverse series of nozzles beyond said first series, for scrubbing and further humidifying the air, means for supplying water to both said sets of nozzles, means for collecting, straining and returning to said nozzles the excess water, transversely extending eliminator plates in said casing beyond said second series of nozzles, for removing readily precipitated particles of'free moisture from the washed and humidified air, fl'ushing nozzles at opposite sidesof said eliminator plates for periodically cleaning the latter, said flushing nozzles being controllable inde-' pendently of the other nozzles, a plurality of supersaturating nozzles in said casing beyond said eliminator plates in the direction of'air flow, and means for supplying water and air under pressure to the same whereby water in extremely comminuted condition is introduced into-said air to supersaturate the same, and enclosing means communicating with the casing for conducting the air in such condition to a point'of use.

2. An apparatus for cleaning, humiditying and s'upersaturating air and conveying the same to a point of use, comprising in combination an elongated casing having at one end an inlet for the untreated air, a

transversely extending series of nozzlesmeans for supplying water to both said sets of nozzles, means for collecting, straining and return ng to said nozzles the excess water, transversely extending eliminator plates in said casing beyond said second series of nozzles, for removing readily pre-1 ofair flow, and means for supplying water to the same, each of said. nozzles including a pair of cap-like members between which the water forms a film adapted to be constantly disrupted but continuously renewed and means for supplying air under pressure to said nozzles to d1scharge the Water into the washed and humidified air in said casing by disrupting said films whereby water in extremely cominuted condition is introduced lnto sald an to supersaturate the same, and enclosing means communlcatmg with the casingfor conducting the air in such condition to a point of use.

3. An apparatus for cleaning, humiditying and supersaturating air comprising in combination a casing 1 having an inlet 2 for the untreated air, a series of spray nozzles 12, 14 for" driving, Washing and humidifying the air, an additional series of spray memes nozzles 15, 16 for scrubbing and further each of said nozzles including a pair of superposed cap-like members 4.8, 50 between which the water is introduced in the form of a film adapted to be constantly disrupted and constantly renewed, there being apertures 51, 52 in said cap-like members and air passages communicating with said apertures and with said air supply pipe 38 whereby air under pressure is adapted to disrupt said films and discharge water in extremely fine globules. into the washed and humidified air but from which free moisture in large particles has been removed, thereby to supersaturate the same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES JARVIS PREBLE. 

